Letter to Hannah Weir from Emma Van Every

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Direct

Miss Emma Van Every Dundas Aug 13 1877
Dundas
Ont

Handwritten, cursive.

Emma's last name could be Van Eng, Van Erg, Van Eary, or something similar.

The year could be 77, 79, or 99. I picked 77. We believe Hannah Deforest Weir died 17 Mar 1880.

My Dear Aunt Hannah,

It is with great
pleasure that I write those few lines to you.

I'm assuming here that great aunt Hannah is our Hannah Deforest Weir, wife of William (#1) Weir. Her last name isn't given, but this letter was in the bible of William Weir.

Dear Aunt - it is no doubt but what you
think that we have forgotten you but we have
not. As I was setting sewing on Friday I began
to think about you + that I should like
to hear from you. On Grandma's
account. So I came the the conclusion
that I would write to you. Well,
Grandma is not so very smart this
last winter. She had her hip broken
+ the Dr could not set it for her
as she was too old for it to knit.
but she is as smart as can be expected
for an old body of her age. I suppose
that you heard of old Grand Father's
death. he has been dead for two years
this last spring. Aunt Jane was here
one day last week + she looks so smart that
you would hardly think that it could be
possible that it was the same person.

Emma's grandma is alive at this time. Further on, we see Emma is Hannah's great neice. That suggests Emma's grandmother is Hannah's sister (or Emma's grandfather is Hannah's brother). I only have one sister of Hannah's, Mary DeForest who married Adam Bowman, but according to my information she died before 1851. We should look into this.

This grandfather may have been Adam Bowman.

Hannah Deforest Weir's brother Abraham DeForest Jr. married Jane Chapman. I don't think this is the right Jane.

Dear Aunt - Ma wants be to tell you
about your old home stead. John
Deforest lives on Grandfather's old place
+ Janet King was here last week and
her two girls + boy. They are getting
along pretty well. I suppose that you
knew that Robert King was dead.

Hannah Deforest Weir's brother was John Deforest (b. 1790). Is this him? This John Deforest had a son John Deforest (b. 1820).

The 1871 Ontario Census Index shows two John Deforests in Nelson Twp., Halton Co.

Hannah Deforest Weir's brother John Deforest had a daughter Janet, who married Robert King.

Ma wants me to ask you if
you ever hear anything of Old Uncle
Abraham Deforest your Brother as
Grandma would like to know where
he is + hear from him. Grandma
has Broach and Aunt Jane home
with her and Ira has just got
Clara and I to home with her.
James is married and got two
little girls and one boy they have lost
there to oldest girls and Nelson
have four little girls and six boys
+ Alice has two boys and one girl.

Note the reference to Hannah's (and grandma's?) brother Abraham DeForest Jr.

Does this imply that Broach and Aunt Jane are grandma's daughters?

Who is Ira?

Are James and Nelson Emma's brothers? See this.

I suppose that you did not know
that Warren was married. He is married
+ living in Toronto and has one boy
most 3 years old and Julia Ann is
married and has three little boys.

Is Warren Emma's brother?

There is just Clark and Clara
and I left. We are a living in
Dundas + we keep a few boarders + Ira is
an agent for drills for J. J. Billington of
Dundas. Dear Aunt remember me
to Sevillia as we are used to calling her
+ to her husband + all the rest of your
sons + daughter + to old Mrs. Horning
+ please remember me to Washburne
when you see him + tell him that
I should like to see him very much.

Does this imply that Clark and Clara are Emma's siblings?

Note the reference to Mrs. Horning, Washburn, and Sevilla. This would be Lorenzo Dan Washburn Horning, son of Gideon Horning and Mary Elizabeth Weir, and Gideon's sister Sevilla Horning. Old Mrs. Horning was probably Mary Elizabeth Weir, daughter of William Weir #1 and Hannah Deforest.

I am going to walk four miles
this afternoon to Nelsons to find out
your adress. So if this letter should reach
you please answer it right away as
soon as it is convenient to you as
I am anxious to hear from you.

Is Nelson Emma's brother?

Dear Aunt when you write to me please
send me one of your photos and I will
send you one of mine as I would like to
have on of yours to look at as I don't
remember of ever seeing you.

-

I should like to have one of Grandmas
to send to you. I got a letter from
+ Betsy Coleman's Ellen + she thought
of coming out this month. Ira was
to Aunt Dorthea Lammonds yesterday
+ they are all well + there is just
one of her family married and that is
May. Aunt Hannah was here last
week and they are all well she lives in
Lyndin. Ira saw Aunt May Deforest
not long ago and she was well.

-

Dear Aunt Hannah do answer this
letter as soon as you get it as soon as I get
an answer from you why I will take
it up to my Grandma + read it to
her. It is five miles up to her. We expect her
to live with us this winter I will have to close
for the want of more paper. Good bye dear aunt
and allow me to rename you, Dear friend
from your Great Niece Emma.

Emma Van Eng is Hannah Weir's great neice.

Miss Emma Van Every Dundas Ont - goodbye I cannot write any more to you
if you cannot write get Washburn or someone to write for you goodbye
good bye
write soon.

This was written in the margins of the last page.

I checked the 1871 Ontario Census Index and found some Van Every households in Wentworth Co. Here is my guess about the relationships of some of the people mentioned here. NOTE: This is pure speculation and should not be taken as fact.

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last modified: 00.07.17

Direct Miss Emma Van Every Dundas Aug 13 1877 Dundas Ont	Handwritten, cursive. Emma's last name could be Van Eng, Van Erg, Van Eary, or something similar. The year could be 77, 79, or 99. I picked 77. We believe Hannah Deforest Weir died 17 Mar 1880.
My Dear Aunt Hannah, It is with great pleasure that I write those few lines to you.	I'm assuming here that great aunt Hannah is our Hannah Deforest Weir, wife of William (#1) Weir. Her last name isn't given, but this letter was in the bible of William Weir.
Dear Aunt - it is no doubt but what you think that we have forgotten you but we have not. As I was setting sewing on Friday I began to think about you + that I should like to hear from you. On Grandma's account. So I came the the conclusion that I would write to you. Well, Grandma is not so very smart this last winter. She had her hip broken + the Dr could not set it for her as she was too old for it to knit. but she is as smart as can be expected for an old body of her age. I suppose that you heard of old Grand Father's death. he has been dead for two years this last spring. Aunt Jane was here one day last week + she looks so smart that you would hardly think that it could be possible that it was the same person.	Emma's grandma is alive at this time. Further on, we see Emma is Hannah's great neice. That suggests Emma's grandmother is Hannah's sister (or Emma's grandfather is Hannah's brother). I only have one sister of Hannah's, Mary DeForest who married Adam Bowman, but according to my information she died before 1851. We should look into this. This grandfather may have been Adam Bowman. Hannah Deforest Weir's brother Abraham DeForest Jr. married Jane Chapman. I don't think this is the right Jane.
Dear Aunt - Ma wants be to tell you about your old home stead. John Deforest lives on Grandfather's old place + Janet King was here last week and her two girls + boy. They are getting along pretty well. I suppose that you knew that Robert King was dead.	Hannah Deforest Weir's brother was John Deforest (b. 1790). Is this him? This John Deforest had a son John Deforest (b. 1820). The 1871 Ontario Census Index shows two John Deforests in Nelson Twp., Halton Co. Hannah Deforest Weir's brother John Deforest had a daughter Janet, who married Robert King.
Ma wants me to ask you if you ever hear anything of Old Uncle Abraham Deforest your Brother as Grandma would like to know where he is + hear from him. Grandma has Broach and Aunt Jane home with her and Ira has just got Clara and I to home with her. James is married and got two little girls and one boy they have lost there to oldest girls and Nelson have four little girls and six boys + Alice has two boys and one girl.	Note the reference to Hannah's (and grandma's?) brother Abraham DeForest Jr. Does this imply that Broach and Aunt Jane are grandma's daughters? Who is Ira? Are James and Nelson Emma's brothers? See this.
I suppose that you did not know that Warren was married. He is married + living in Toronto and has one boy most 3 years old and Julia Ann is married and has three little boys.	Is Warren Emma's brother?
There is just Clark and Clara and I left. We are a living in Dundas + we keep a few boarders + Ira is an agent for drills for J. J. Billington of Dundas. Dear Aunt remember me to Sevillia as we are used to calling her + to her husband + all the rest of your sons + daughter + to old Mrs. Horning + please remember me to Washburne when you see him + tell him that I should like to see him very much.	Does this imply that Clark and Clara are Emma's siblings? Note the reference to Mrs. Horning, Washburn, and Sevilla. This would be Lorenzo Dan Washburn Horning, son of Gideon Horning and Mary Elizabeth Weir, and Gideon's sister Sevilla Horning. Old Mrs. Horning was probably Mary Elizabeth Weir, daughter of William Weir #1 and Hannah Deforest.
I am going to walk four miles this afternoon to Nelsons to find out your adress. So if this letter should reach you please answer it right away as soon as it is convenient to you as I am anxious to hear from you.	Is Nelson Emma's brother?
Dear Aunt when you write to me please send me one of your photos and I will send you one of mine as I would like to have on of yours to look at as I don't remember of ever seeing you.	-
I should like to have one of Grandmas to send to you. I got a letter from + Betsy Coleman's Ellen + she thought of coming out this month. Ira was to Aunt Dorthea Lammonds yesterday + they are all well + there is just one of her family married and that is May. Aunt Hannah was here last week and they are all well she lives in Lyndin. Ira saw Aunt May Deforest not long ago and she was well.	-
Dear Aunt Hannah do answer this letter as soon as you get it as soon as I get an answer from you why I will take it up to my Grandma + read it to her. It is five miles up to her. We expect her to live with us this winter I will have to close for the want of more paper. Good bye dear aunt and allow me to rename you, Dear friend from your Great Niece Emma.	Emma Van Eng is Hannah Weir's great neice.
Miss Emma Van Every Dundas Ont - goodbye I cannot write any more to you if you cannot write get Washburn or someone to write for you goodbye good bye write soon.	This was written in the margins of the last page.